Kabul to Host Peace Summit after Week of Deadly Violence

At least 40 people were killed or injured after a massive blast struck Kabul's diplomatic quarter during morning rush hour on Wednesday, May 31. (SHAH MARAI/AFP)

Agence France Presse

Kabul will host a multinational peace conference on Afghanistan Tuesday, as the capital reels from a wave of bombings and clashes that left more than 100 people dead and hundreds wounded in the last week.

Much of Kabul remains on lockdown ahead of the conference, labelled the "Kabul Process", with tighter than usual security including more armed checkpoints and armoured vehicles patrolling the streets.

Representatives of around two dozen countries will attend the meeting, which aims to build international support on ways to restore security in the conflict-torn country, the government said on Monday.

"The Kabul Process is meant to reach a consensus with the region and the world for peace in Afghanistan," said presidential spokesman Shah Hussain Murtazawi.

Kabul has been on edge since a truck bombing last Wednesday in the highly fortified diplomatic quarter killed at least 90 people and wounded hundreds, the deadliest attack in the city since 2001.

The dead included at least 31 staff and business partners of Roshan, Afghanistan's leading telecom provider, with their main office in Kabul heavily damaged and nationwide operations disrupted.

Four more people were killed Friday when hundreds of protesters incensed by the bombing clashed with police, prompting officials to beat them back with live rounds in the air, tear gas and water cannon.

The protesters, holding a sit-in for a fourth day Monday near the bombing site, have demanded the resignation of Afghanistan's security chiefs, including national security advisor Hanif Atmar.

Exposing the split within the fractious government Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani also called for Atmar's dismissal on Monday, but the demand was turned down by President Ashraf Ghani.

'Frontline'

On Saturday, at least seven people were killed when suicide bombers tore through a row of mourners who were attending the funeral of one of the protesters, the son of an influential Afghan senator.

No group has claimed the attacks, but the government has blamed the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network for Wednesday's bombing.

Previous international efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table have failed, but diplomats in Kabul hailed Tuesday's conference as a stepping stone to peace.

"The launch of the Kabul Process tomorrow is an important marker for each and every country in the region to show its true support for Afghanistan's aspirations for peace," said Dominic Jermey, the British ambassador to Kabul.

"This includes taking steps to tackle the challenges posed by terrorist networks and to prevent terrorists receiving support, whether from states or individuals."

The conference will be attended by a host of nations, including the United States, India, China and regional nemesis Pakistan, which Afghanistan has long blamed for sponsoring the resurgent Taliban.

The tense week of violence during the holy fasting month of Ramadan has left hospitals in Kabul overwhelmed, with many running beyond capacity to treat the injured.

The Italian-run Emergency hospital, seen as a medical lifeline, has voiced fears for the safety of its staff with protesters camped close to the facility.

"With the unfortunate events... in Kabul, our hospital has been put on the frontline," Emergency said in a statement.

"To continue our work we are asking only one thing: Security around our hospital and not to be targeted intentionally."